That which never ceases to amaze

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8023295.stm

Nasha hai sab pe, magar rang nashe ka hai judaa

Late one evening, I set out in search of fresh air and freedom when the last hue of daylight was turning into a very deep dark blue. This new city I must now make mine offered a variety of sights and sounds. Much too lively compared to what I am used to on a Sunday evening.

Looking to remain an innocent bystander (or walker) I was broken out of my reverie when a couple in their thirties approached me to ask a question. I remove my earphones, and they ask "Do you know where ***** is?" I must have appeared confused, as the woman found it necessary to explain further "It's a nightclub". "No idea at all, sorry" I reply and carry on.

What was stranger than the fact that they thought a bespectacled young woman wearing way too many clothes in comparison with the norm of the evening, listening to music and carrying a large non stylish bag would know where a nightclub is located, was the realisation that two outsiders were asking me where anything was in this town.

The usual throngs of minimally clothed women braving the cold for the sake of a few appreciative (also read "leering") glances (or free drinks) were to be seen everywhere. One in particular drew some wolf whistles. Viewed from behind, she appeared to be wearing nothing but a skirt. It was actually a dress crafted so imaginatively as if someone had stitched it together using her contours as guidelines. I was walking close to her and instinctively stepped aside, as if distancing myself further from that openly masculine appreciation of her physical form, thinking it best to let praise directed towards her be unblemished by my comparatively non-sexy appearance.

Kishore Kumar sings into my ears...

Kisi pe husn ka ghuroor jawani ka nasha...

A couple share an embrace and a kiss at a tram station. A young man playfully picks his girlfriend in his arms and threatens to throw her into a pool of water. She squeals with delight disguised as protest.

Kisi ke dil pe mohabbat ki rawani ka nasha...

As I walk on past a man struggling to walk straight, I run into a group of girls. One of them, obviously very drunk, shouts to me in a voice made shriller by alcohol "Hi-yaaa". I give her a wry alright-then-you-got-that-out-of-your-system smile and carry on.

Kahin suroor hai khushiyon ka, kahin gham ka nasha...

Even as my mind is bemused and filled with all this drunken revelry, there are more sober encounters ahead of me.

Like families and couples having intimate meals at quiet restaurants.

I enter a store and catch sight of a young south Asian man. Boy, rather, who looks perplexed as he contemplates two different types of ready made salads and eventually chooses one (appearing to do so more out of a realisation that he must hurry up, than a preference for it). I feel a strange sadness as I see him, cannot understand it and admonish myself for feeling that way.

An elderly couple hold hands as they cross a traffic light. They stick out like sore thumbs amidst all the youthful intoxicated laughter and chatter. I see a young woman carrying a suitcase, probably returning from the train station and find in her the closest resemblance to myself. She too has a determined stride, wears glasses and is covered from head to toe.

I want to keep walking, taking in all this diversity of experience and life. At the thought of being alone in this crowd I smile and feel an elated calmness.

I nod my head as if agreeing with Kishore Kumar.

Nashe mein kaun nahi hai, mujhe batao zara?

Nasha hai sab pe, magar rang nashe ka hai judaa.

Padharo mhare des

"Kesariya Balam... Padharo Mhare Des" is a beautiful, lilting melody that immediately conjures up the image of a lone traveller traversing the sand dunes of a vast desert in Rajasthan, of a woman in bright clothing and eye catching jewellery waiting expectantly for her lover to return, of palaces, princes and proud moustaches of turbaned Rajasthani men smoking a hookah in the hot afternoon sun while drinking strong, sweet tea.

For me, that is.

The song itself, while it is described as a traditional Rajasthani welcome song, is for me more a song of longing. A plea that is sent out across the sands, carried by the dust in the hope that it shall land on the ears of the one being waited for. The melody is slow and seems deliberately prolonged, as if mimicking the lament of a lone bird, hoping that it will pull at the heart strings of the beloved 'other' who feels so painfully far away.

I had the glorious fortune of listening to a street performer play this melody at the entrance of the Jaisalmer fort. He played it on Sarangi and it was a moment of loveliness.

I wish I could recreate that experience in memory but it is partly lost to me.

Now, I find solace in listening to the song while looking out of the window, in a foreign land.

(Go here for Rajasthani performers and here for a rendition by Mehdi Hassan)

Faith Fighters- Join the movement !

The state of the world today, with all its terrorism and sickening displays of religious intolerance, demands that all of humankind stops, takes notice and wonders what the hell to do about it.

Well, some have found a potentially workable solution to at least some of the problems of religious violence.

A fantastic game called "Faith Fighter"

Recently discovered by my beloved and me, it basically involves a one on one (man vs. man, man vs. god, or man vs. alien depending on who you are pitted against at any given moment) street fight where one kicks the other's ass (And vital organs if either one is a good enough fighter!)

Invented by Molleindustria as a video game, it has recently been the subject of much outcry* etc. by los fanaticos religiosos. Clearly, they haven't been able to see the potential this fun game has to solve some of the greatest issues facing humanity today!

This is how it goes

You choose who you want to play as. The choices are among the following

- GOD (Who is shown as a rather short and squat- though muscular- man with a white beard)

- JESUS (Son of the above mentioned, shown as a lean and lanky fellow whose favourite defensive stance seems to resemble a "Namaste")

- BUDDHA (Who is blue, wears a saffron robe and looks a bit like Ram from Indian Nritya Natikas- dance dramas)

- MUHAMMAD- (Who is again a lean and lanky man, wearing a green kurta, with a knife slung low on his waist)

- GANESHA (Beloved elephant headed god, shown - obviously- as an elephant. Albeit a rather angry looking one)

- BUDAI (A fat and jovial figure, wearing nothing but a loin-cloth. One of his slick moves involves falling asleep)

- XENU (An alien, who is hardly fun to fight because his- like Mashrafe Mortaza's- favourite shot seems to be "playing defense")

Then you are meant to fight each of the other figures one after the other, each contest lasting three rounds.

Interested drones can play here - http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/421199

I personally really like street fighting type games (Mortal Kombat was a favourite). There is something about the rawness of being able to punch your enemy in the face, kick them in the shin and beat the crap out of them to emerge the winner. Of course, I already know it gives vent to my latent aggression so any reader coming to that conclusion should know that that would not qualify as a deep and insightful interpretation.

Which is why I really like this game! But its advantages for mankind at large go very much beyond that.

Imagine if people were to use this as a means to resolve religious differences. Using simulation to re create and experience difficult emotions and deal with them is a therapeutic technique. Why not apply the same to the problem of religion?

The whole my-god-kicks-your-god's-ass question is so easy to resolve- in just three rounds of let's-settle-this-once-and-for-all-by-taking-it-outside good old fashioned street fight.

Of course, some might say that people might resolve to street fights as a way to shut the other up vis a vis the above question anyway. So how is this game any better? Well, let me tell you how.

Can two ordinary men or women engaging in a street fight in the dark alleys of Ghaziabad, Mangalore, Moradabad or any other place in the world use special effects to make themselves invisible (Muhammad), or freeze the enemy into a block of ice (Xenu)? Hah! Didn't think so!

The sound effects, animation etc go a long way to make the entire fight appear comical and pointless. Plus, by using Faith Fighter, you realise that ultimately, your god or your religion is only as strong or as weak as you are.

So everyone can enjoy the game, win a couple of rounds, and go back to the ideal goal of introspection and evolving into a better person.

Better yet, try playing as a religious figure different from the one you would normally identify with. It is like learning an important lesson- That your individual skills and abilities (and other personal traits) account for more of who you are, than your alleged religious identity. Because believe me, we've (beloved and I) tried playing as each and every one of the characters, and ended up winners. Yeah, it feels great :-P

Who knows, you might even give into the urge of swearing** at your opponent, even while playing as your perceived enemy in real life.

Go on then. Give it a shot.

*I hate protests against any form of creative expression or genius. Be it writing, drawing, or inventing video games! The inventors like it, the players like it, what the hell is everyone else's problem anyway?

What happened to the good values of "I may not agree with your opinion but I shall defend to my death your right to have it?"

** I cannot tell a lie. Swearing while playing games is great fun. Sigh, what does this say about me!? Sob sob. Oh well, at least I am good at Faith Fighter :-P

Oh Kindred Spirit !

"While portraying dogs as humans may bring you satisfaction, consider that this satisfaction is, in actuality, rooted in extreme egoism, borne out of a deeper and more extreme insecurity: To see a lesser creature acting and speaking as you speak is at once validating and entertaining, for along with the silly laugh comes the calming reassurance that no other mammal on Earth can possesses advanced thought. You laugh because your place in the world remains unthreatened"

More here: http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/stop_anthropomorphizing_me